Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File R. 2,995, Nathaniel Dodge, N.H. Privateer

SERVICE
N.H. Privateer.
Dodge, Nathaniel
NUMBER
R. 2.995
CONTENTS
Twelve horizontal dotted lines for writing.
Twelve horizontal dotted lines for writing.

Nath c Dodge
17177

State of Ohio Washington County ss. On this 25 th day of October A.D. 1832 personally appeared in open court before the Judges of the Court of Common Pleas for the County of Wash- ington now sitting. Nathanial Dodge a resident of Watford Township in the County and State aforesaid aged sixty nine years. Who being first duly sworn according to law, doth on his oath make the following declaration, in order to obtain the benefit of the act of Congress passed June 7 th 1832 That he intitled the sum of the United States under the following named officers and service as herein stated. I was born in Wrentham Wrentham in the County of Essex in the State of Massachusetts in the year 1763 on the 5 th day of July. I have a record of my age on my family bible in Watford I enlisted in the month of June 1780 in the State Troops of New Hampshire in Colonel Battell regiment of infantry in the Company commanded by Moses Scott - the Lieutenant name I have for- gotten. The Ensign Samuel Maston - I enlisted in said Company & Regiment for three months Service at Hampton Falls in the State of New Hampshire - I was under said enlistment mustered at Exeter in said State of New Hampshire and marched to Springfield in Massachusetts and from thence to West- Point in State of New York. I remained at West Point doing duty until my time expired. I was there at the time General Arnold deserted. in consequence of the confusion created by Arnold's desertion I was left on guard on one of the outer posts for two days without any thing to eat except crackers - and when our relief

came. I was informed by them of the disolution of Arnold, within two or three weeks after that event. my time for which I insisted is paid - and I was discharged by Captain Scott and returned home to Hampton Falls. I have no written discharge there was none given, the Massachusetts regiment at West Point at the time our regiment was there was com- manded by Colonel Waid, in the year 1781 in February. At Newburyport in Massachusetts I shipped on board the ship Rose of twenty guns commanded by Captain Colin a privateer commissioned by the United States for six months cruise, and sailed in March of the same year and was captured in about three weeks off the Cape of Virginia by a ship of the line and a frigate of Great Bri- tain and was sent into New York and imprisoned aboard of the prison ship, Jersey until exchanged some time in Octo- ber of the same year - I have no documentary evidence of my service and know of no person who can testify to my service living - after my discharge from imprisonment I resided at Hampton Falls in New Hampshire until the year 1804 when I removed to Mansfield in the State of Ohio & have resided since that time in this County where I now reside - I hereby relinquish every claim what- ever to a pension or annuity except the pen- sion once declared that my name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any State
Nathaniel Dodge
Sworn to & subscribed the day & year afore said
Attest Geo. Dunlevy Clerk.

We H rs Rufus Putnam and Augustus Stone both residing in Sciota County of Washington. Hereby certify that we are well acquainted with Nathan Dodge. Who has subscribed & sworn to the above declaration and that we believe him to be sixty nine years old. That he is respected and beloved in the neighborhood where he resides to have been a soldier of the revolution and that we are of that opinion -
H rs R. Putnam Augustus Stone
Sworn & subscribed the day & year aforesaid Attest Geo. Dunlevy Clerk
And the said Court do hereby declare their opinion after the investigation of the matter and after putting the interrogatories prescribed by the war department. The answers to which are embodied in the above declaration that the above named applicant was a revolutionary soldier & sailor and served as the states. And the Court further certifies that it appears to them that H rs Rufus Putnam and Augustus Stone who have signed the foregoing certificate are residents of the Township of Marietta in said County and are creditable persons and that their statements are entitled to credit.
Attest Geo. Dunlevy Clerk.
The State of Ohio, S b George Dunlevy, clerk of the court of common Washington County S s Pleas of said County, do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said court, in the matter of the application of Nathaniel Dodge for a pension.

pension. ~
In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal of office, this twenty fifth day of October, Anno Domini one thousand, eight hundred and thirty two.
W. Dunlevy Clerk.

17, 1797.
Nathaniel Dodge, of Washington County, Ohio.
Respectfully - Special letter.
Geo. Dunlap, Clk. Marietta Washington County, Ohio.

BRIEF in the case of Nathaniel Dodge, County of Washington, in the State of Ohio. (Act 7th June, 1832.)
1. Was the declaration made before a Court or a Judge? A Court. 2. If before a Judge, does it appear that the applicant is disabled by bodily infirmity? 3. How old is he? 69 years. 4. State his service, as directed in the form annexed.
   Period. Duration of Service. Rank. Names of General and Field Officers under whom he served.   Years, Months, Days.     Enlisted In 1780. 3. pr. Gen. Col. Bartlett,   Enlisted 1801. 6. " Capt. Lovett, Capt. Collier.  
5. In what battles was he engaged? None. 6. Where did he reside when he entered the service? Hampton Falls, New Jersey. 7. Is his statement supported by living witnesses, by documentary proof, by traditionary evidence, by incidental evidence, or by the rolls? Traditionary. 8. Are the papers defective as to form or authentication? and if so, in what respect? No.
I Certify that the foregoing statement and the answers agree with the evidence in the case above mentioned.
W. R. Turner, Examining Clerk.

Acts of July 14, 1862, and March 3, 1873.
REJECTED
2995
P. O. _____
Nathaniel Dodge
Service: _____
Enlisted: _____, 18
Discharged: _____, 18
Application filed: _____, 18
Alleges: _____
Re-enlisted: _____
Attorney: _____
P. O. _____
_____ Recognized. _____ Contract
_____ Cert. of Dis. Searched for _____, 18

Rejected
See letter of 12 April 1833. To
George Dunlevy Esq. Maricopa
Ohio
299  J

BRIEF objections to the admission of Pension Claims, of which these answered in the negative, in red ink, will apply to the claim of Nathaniel Dodge, further proof or explanation. which require
I. Does the declaration show where the applicant resides? II. Did the declarant make the declaration in the county where he resides? III. If the applicant did not make the declaration in the county where he resides, is there any reason assigned for his not doing so? IV. Has the declarant mentioned the period or periods of the war when he served? V. * Has he mentioned with precision the length of his service, and the different grades in which he served, in language so definite as to enable the department to determine to what amount of pension he is entitled? VI. Has he given the names of the officers under whom he served, in conformity with the regulations? VII. Has he made a relinquishment of every claim to any other pension than the one under the Act of June 7, 1832? VIII. Has the Court given their opinion? IX. Has the Clerk given his certificate? X. Is the Clerk's seal affixed? And if so, has it a device or inscription by which it can be distinguished from any other seal?

XI. Has the applicant obtained the evidence of a clergyman and another respectable citizen as to their belief respecting his age and the general belief in his neighborhood relative to his revolutionary service? no. Two citizens. XII. If the clergyman's affidavit has not been produced, is there any reason assigned for not obtaining it? no. XIII. If the applicant has no documentary evidence, and has not obtained the testimony of at least one living witness, has he stated in his declaration that such proof cannot be had? XIV. † If the applicant's name is not found on the rolls of military service, has he produced a witness or witnesses as to his service? If he has produced direct proof as to service, has the magistrate who administered the oath, certified to the credibility of the witness or witnesses? Has the proper officer certified to the official character and signature of the magistrate as the regulations direct? XV. Does it appear from any of the papers that the witness was in such a situation, or of such an age, as to have a personal knowledge of the applicant's service? XVI. ‡ Are the papers authenticated as the regulations direct? XVII. Are the seven interrogatories prescribed by the War Department answered satisfactorily? And, if not, which of them is not so answered?
 EXPLANATORY NOTES.
* QUERE V. In a case where the applicant cannot, by reason of the loss of memory, state precisely how long he served, he should amend his declaration by making an affidavit in the following words: "Personally appeared before me, the undersigned, a Justice of the Peace, &c. A. B. who, being duly sworn, deposeth and saith, that, by reason of old age, and the consequent loss of memory, he cannot swear positively as to the precise length of his service, but according to the best of his recollection he served not less than the periods mentioned below, and in the following grades; For _____ year _____ months, and _____ days, I served as a _____ For _____ months and _____ days, I served as a _____; and for such service I claim a pension."

It is important in all cases to determine with precision the period for which each applicant served, and the particular rank he held, as the law directs the pension to be paid according to the grade of the pensioner and the length of his service. The use of the phrase about three or four months is too indefinite, and all such qualifying expressions are objectionable. Some persons who apply for pensions merely state they served two years in the militia, &c. without specifying the tours; the names of the officers, and other particulars respecting their service. This form of a declaration is highly objectionable. It must in every case be clearly shewn under what officers the applicant served; the duration of each term of engagement; the particular place or places where the service was performed; that the applicant served with an embodied corps called into service by competent authority; that he was either in the field or in garrison; and for the time during which the service was performed, he was not employed in any civil pursuit.
† QUERE XIV.  Proof of Service.
In a case where the name of the applicant is not found on the records of the Department, he must prove his service by two credible witnesses, who are required to set forth in their affidavits the time of the claimants entering the service, and the time and manner of his leaving the same, as well as the regiment, company, and line to which he belonged. The magistrate who may administer the oaths must certify to the credibility of the witnesses, and the official character and signature of the magistrate must be certified by the proper officer, under his seal of office.
‡ QUERE XVI.  Mode of authenticating papers.
In every instance where the certificate of the certifying officer who authenticates the papers is not written on the same sheet of paper which contains the affidavit, or other paper authenticated, the certificate must be attached thereto by a piece of tape or narrow ribbon, the ends of which must pass under the seal of office of the certifying officer, so as to prevent any paper from being improperly attached to the certificate.
☞ In every case where the clerk of the court, or other certifying officer, has no public seal of office, the certificate of a member of congress, proving the official character and signature of the certifying officer, should accompany the papers.